Binding-post.



No. 818,480. PATENTED APR. 24, 190's.

0. SLUSSER.

BINDING POST. APPLICATION FILED MAR.17, 1965.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 17, 1905. Serial No. 260,639-

Patented April 24, 1906.

1'0 wll/ LII/LU'IIL- it "my concern.-

Be it known that I, CLYDE SLUSSER, a citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Charleston, Kanawha county, West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Binding-Posts, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a binding-post WlllCh when sold as an article of manufacture may be readily adapted by the user to be secured to one of the parts to be connected in such one of a plurality of ways as is most convenient and to provide means whereb the wire or connecting-link formin the ot er part to be connected may be rea ily, quickly, and securely caught wit good electrical contact.

In order to provide the adaptability as to the manner in which the bindingost can be secured, I use a hollow post, ma e of malleable or flexible material, preferably notched at its lower end, Whereb one of the parts may be either caught witfiin the diametrical notches and secured therein in any appropriate manner or by which the notched oyver end of the 0st may be bent either outwardly or inwardly in the form of a flange to ermit the securing of the post to a flat surace or to hold it within a hole formed in the part to which it is to be secured, for which pu ose the outwardly-bent flange is especial y applicable, whileif the flange be bent inwardl a tubular bindingpost will be formed liaving a restricted lower end with a central aperture, through which aperture a bolt may be inserted, the head of the bolt resting within the tubular post and upon the inwardl -bent flange at the base thereof and the b0 y of the bolt passing through the 'part to which the post is to be secured.

For the purpose of providing means for securing the other part to the post I provide the post with an aperture, which may be either in the form of a perforation through the post or in the form of a slot therein, and place around the post a coiled spring, the upper end of which bears upon a washer, also -mounted upon the post and sliding thereon,

the said spring tending to press the Washer upwardly and against the wire or conductor located within the aperture and to thus insure good electrical connection between the,

said wire and walls of the aperture, as I by preference make the washer itself of insulating material in order that saidwasher when the posts are used upon the electrode of batteries shall serve as spacing means to maintain the electrodes apart and prevent short-circuiting, a fault often present in the necessarily-compact batteries used in connection with the sparkers of explosive-engines driving automobiles.

My invention further consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of which it is com osed, which will be hereinafter. more ful y scribed and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by corresponding marks of reference, Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations of a binding-post constructed in accordance withthis' invention. Fig. 3' is a vertical section thereof, illustrating application of the same in the manner in which it may be applied to one of the plates of a battery. Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing the binding-post as secured to a thin sheet of metal by formation of an outside flange and riveting. Fig. 5 is a detail illustrating the use of the binding-post with an inside flange and a bolt or screw:

The 0st proper consists of a tubular piece 1,

of ma] eable metalpreferably, for instance,

of brass-the Walls t ereof being sufficiently thin to permit individual parts thereof to be bent as may be desired, the body of the post having strength given thereto b its tubular form. By preference the meta at the bottom of the tube is notched axially or serrated,

as shown at 2 in Figs. 1 and 2, thus permitting the user also to bend the several points of the post outwardly, forming in outside flange 2 as, for instance, shown in Fig. 4- or inwardly, forming an inside flange 2 as is shown in Fig. 5, or in case it is desired to secure the post to the end of a thin plate, as one of the electrodes of the battery, the latter may be inserted in diametrical notches in the post and fastened therein by solder or in any other convenient manner, as shown in Fi L 3.

Vhile in Fig. 4 I have shown the outwardl bent flanges as forming a riveted head caug t beneath the part to which the post is to be secured, it Wlll be obvious that such an outwardly-bent flange may be secured to the outer face of the plate by solder or in any other convenient manner, and it is shown as the post is provide riveted in the said figure merely to illustrate in detail one of the Ways in which it is capableofuse.

The upper end of the blndmg-post 1s spun to form'an outwardly-projecting flange 3 and to form a stop for the washer 5, encircling the body of the post, a spiral spring 6 also encircling the post below the washer, and when the post is secured to its supporting art the spring bears on the upper surface 0 the latter and throws the washer toward the flanged head. Immediatel below the flanged head with a diametrical aperture 7, which in Fig. 1 is shown as a perforation, although it may be in the form of an open slot, as indicated at 7 in Fig. 3, to permit the insertion of a wire therein without threading its end through the perforation.

By the construction described the washer will be pressed against the under surface of the wire or conductorpassed through the aperture and will also make direct electrical contact therewith itself or will" force the conductor' against the up er walls of the aperture, in either case a ording good electrical connection.

In certain cases-f0r instance, when the pact batteriesI posts are to be use; on the electrodes of comserve as spacing-blocks hold' the battery plates apart and prevent?-short-circuiting at their terminals. The change" man insuever, can ll-"be seen be readily made by the user,- that' until the post is secure p itsbase part the springs and washer firemen be removed and replaced at pleasure tof 'suit the demands of the occasion or the convenience of .the operator. However, when the post refer to make the "washer of insulating mate ialm order that theylrnay eiaeeo' has been secured to its base, the parts will be 1 heldfirmly in position without liability of loss.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is.

1. A binding post for electrical circuits I consisting of a hollow tubular part of malleable metal, a sprin -contact maker mou'nted upon the exterior thereof ahd a. support cooperated with the malleable end of the tubular part, substantially as described.

2. A bindin 0st for electrical circuits consisting of &%IO low tubular part of malleable metal, having a'slot in the lower end, and a spring-contact maker mounted upon the exterior thereof. g

3. In abinding-post for electrical apparatus, the combination of a tubular part made the of malleable metal, a spring enclrclin M e part for o said part and means upon t ing a conductor against the pressure from the spring and a support coo erated with the malleable end of the tubu ar part, substantially as described. I

4. In an electrical binding-post, the combination with a tubular part made ofmalleable metal and having a serrated lower end and a flanged u per end, of a spiral spring encircling'the bo y of the said post, a washer interposed between the spring and flanged ends, an means upon the post-for maintaining a Y. conductor agalnst pressure from the spring, substantially as described.

' Signed at Charleston this 15th day of March, 1905.

- CLYDE SLUSSER. -Witnesses: f

' C, G. DAVIS,

J. C. SLUSSER. 

